Barack Obama, Wednesday, 27 Jan 2010, State of the Union Address:

“This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.”

Sorry, Mr. Obama, but “gays” are not banned from serving. Those who have chosen homosexuality can join our military, just like people who choose to eat fatty foods can join the military. I believe you said this only because you have been told that since they cannot serve “openly gay”, their “civil rights” to express that lifestyle are being violated, which is something only a liberal would embrace or subscribe to. It is a banning of their “gayness” that bothers you and them. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the wonderful world of activism politics. My first question to you, Mr. Obama, would be: Have you really asked the military folks what they want? Or is this new call for “equal rights” merely your response to having pressure put onto you by pro-homosexual groups who are holding their money, and their Democratic votes, over your head.

Maybe this is yet another elitist attempt by you to let America know that you know what’s better for them than they do. “This is for your own good. I know better than you do as to what you need to be fulfilled and happy. So pipe down and let Daddy do his thing.” I believe it is a mixture of liberal condescension and elitist presumption. In all the arguments I have heard and seen regarding this issue, I have yet to see one time wherein the people this would most greatly affect- soldiers, Marines, and such- be asked their opinions.

As a Veteran of the military who served in an all-male MOS (Military Occupational Specialty), I can assure you that we never, and I mean never, wanted to ever know if someone in our unit was homosexual. We had a camaraderie based on the kind of trust that you have when you may need to put very your life into the hands of another. We were a military unit, a team, a true brotherhood. If one of us had “come out”, it would have destroyed the whole, because not a one of us were keen on homosexuality, nor did we ever feel the restrictions of political-correctness. We had no time for such matters. Our military world was not the civilian world, and we didn’t want it to be. We were special, separate, called to do a duty that our fathers and grandfathers did as younger men. Homosexuality and its acceptance were issues that the civilians had to contend with, but not us. Our mission didn’t afford us the luxury of being diverse or understanding to the plights and tribulations of a group of people who chose to kiss members of their own sex.

And while this may sound harsh to those of you who have never served in my MOS, I offer no apologies or excuses. Unless you were there beside me, you simply cannot judge.

Now, to be sure, things have changed in the military since my departure. From what I understand, weekly/monthly briefings are done on such topics as diversity, racism, sexual harassment, and emotional communication. Political-correctness has established a stronghold in our modern-day military, but for the life of me I do not know how this happened. I guess someone along the lines wanted the military to be kinder and gentler, and to adopt puppies, kittens, and have tea luncheons.

Homosexuals are strong-arming the President to influence Congress and make it so they can be “openly gay” and have protected “rights” because of their chosen homosexuality. (Will they wear rainbow triangles or something to that effect on their uniforms to insure their “protection” isn’t accidentally challenged by an off-hand remark from a heterosexual?) This will only lead to bad morale and lawsuits. Nothing good can come from this if Mr. Obama pushes for it like he has said he would.

The policy of “Don’t ask, Don’t tell”, instituted by President William Clinton in 1993, was for the best. Consider these words from Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen:

“Now is not the time,” the in-house advisers for Mullen wrote recently in a memorandum. “The importance of winning the wars we are in, along with the stress on the force, our body of knowledge and the number of unknowns, demand that we act with deliberation.”

If allowing homosexuals to be “openly gay” isn’t a good idea during war, when there is elevated stress, then what would happen if the homosexuals came in during peacetime and then a war broke out again? So many people who don’t serve on the front lines are debating this issue and using it as a political tool. Just once, just one single time, I would like to hear what the fighting men of our armed forces think about this.

Just once.